Analysis Of Their Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston

Their Eyes Were Watching God, penned by Zora Neale Hurston, bears a major life question: how is happiness reached? Hurston uses Jannie, Nanny, Jody, and Tea Cake’s experiences to show how a person reaches happiness. Hurston’s creation of Janie’s and Nanny’s relationship shows the contradiction of feeling secure and feeling happy. Nanny’s struggles in life edged Janie to her first marriage with Logan Killicks. Nanny was born a slave who had meager rights, which contributed to her being raped and the subsequent birth of her daughter. This lead to Nanny wanting Jannie being married as soon as possible, Nanny explains, “Janie, youse got yo’ womanhood on yuh. So Ah mount ez well tell yuh whut Ah been savin’ up for us spell. Ah wants to see you

The relationship began with Jody and Janie both loving each other, but ended with Jody’s selfishness taking away almost two decades from Janie’s life. Jody places restrictions on Janie because he sees her as a trophy to show off, Jody states, “You ain’t got no mo’ business wid uh plow than uh hog is got wid uh holiday! You ain’t got no business cuttin’ up no seed p’taters neither. A pretty doll-baby lak you is made to sit on de front porch and rock and fan yo’self and eat p’taters dat other folks plant just special for you” (Hurston, 29). This leads to Janie being confined to the post office and Jody seeking more power in Eatonville; Jody states, “Ah told you in de very first beginnin’ dat Ah aimed tuh be uh big voice. You oughta be glad, ‘cause dat makes uh big woman outa you” (Hurston, 64), showing how he is only interested in his status in the town not Janie. He expects Jannie to quietly obey because he believes women are incapable of doing anything, Jody states “Dat’s ‘cause you need tellin’," he rejoined hotly. "It would be pitiful if Ah didn’t. Somebody got to think for women and chillun and chickens and cows. I god, they sho don’t think none theirselves” (Hurston, 71). Janie's confinement leads to her quietly obeying Jody, a power driven man, who ignores her love that slowly dwindles away as his greed grows. Hurston demonstrates through Jody’s

Tea Cake brings new light to Janie's life. Janie mourns for Jody’s death as expected in her society but decides she is done mourning when she meets Tea Cake, a man who respects her and treats her equally. Janie is faced with the town's gossip and has to make a decision to either stay in the town as a lonely widower with a fortune or run away with Tea Cake, a not well off man who is 12 years younger. Janie decides to run away with Tea Cake who truly loves her and the age gap does not affect his decisions, Tea Cake exclaims, “You’se de onliest woman in de world Ah ever even mentioned gittin married tuh. You bein’ older don’t make no difference. Don’t never consider dat no mo’” (Hurston, 121). When Janie is with Tea Cake she leaves her wealth to work on a farm in the Everglades. Janie has the option to stay at home, the role women mainly took, but decides to work on the farm to keep Tea Cake company, Tea Cake admits “Ah gits lonesome out dere all day ‘thout yuh” (Hurston, 133). Hurston emphasizes their relationship because Janie's goes against what is expected and finds happiness alongside Tea Cake and still has it when he passes, Janie reveals, “The kiss of his memory made pictures of love and light against the wall. Her was peace. She pulled in her horizon…” (Hurston